What is the GNOME Software Downloader?
In Ubuntu Desktop, the “Ubuntu Software” center (which is fundamentally the GNOME Software application) runs a background service that periodically connects to the internet to check for updates to your installed Snap and APT packages.
When it finds updates, it often automatically downloads the payload in the background so it is ready for you to install. While convenient, this background process can consume significant CPU cycles and silently eat through your bandwidth. If you are on a metered mobile hotspot or prefer to run all your updates manually via the apt-get upgrade terminal command, you can stop this GUI app from downloading things behind your back.
How to Disable Background Downloads in Ubuntu Software
You can turn off this background polling directly within the Software Center’s preferences.
- Click on the Ubuntu Software (or App Center) icon in your dock to open the application.
- Look at the top-left corner of the screen, next to the “Activities” button on the top panel, and click on the name of the app (usually Ubuntu Software).
- Select Update Preferences (or simply Preferences) from the dropdown menu.
- A new window will appear with settings for automatic updates. Look for the toggle switch labelled Automatic Updates or Download updates automatically.
- Toggle the switch to the Off position.
Alternative: Disable via Terminal (gsettings)
If the GUI option is missing or fails to stick, you can forcefully disable the behavior using the terminal.
- Open the Terminal (
Ctrl + Alt + T). - Paste the following command and press Enter:
gsettings set org.gnome.software download-updates falseGoing forward, the GNOME Software center will remain entirely dormant in the background until you explicitly open it and click the “Check for Updates” button.